Abstract

McCammon, R.B. Towards a computer-based information-retrieval system for groundwater data

In the near future, most regional water boards in New Zealand will have on-going investigations into underground water. Because underground water represents a hidden resource, indirect methods, namely well drilling, must be used in any attempt to better understand underground water supplies. The information obtained from boreholes therefore is of para¬mount importance. With the greater number of wells being drilled at present, together with the well records already on file, computer-based systems for information retrieval offer definite promise for the future. A key factor in the design of such a system is the nature of the man–computer dialogue. Question-and-answer, menu-selection and natural-English type dialogues are particularly well suited for the retrieval of water-well records from data files. Whichever system is put forward, it is important that potential users of the system be involved in all stages of development.